Mail box stand



Dec. 15, 1964 J, v. NOLANDER 3,161,397

MAIL BOX STAND Filed Jan. 22, 1963 www@ Fiyi.

` 1N VENTOR Jaim 1./ Nolandelt United States Patent O 3,161,397 MAIL BOX STAND .lohn V. Nolander, 606 th Ave., Two Harbors, Minn. Filed dan. 22, 1963, Ser. No. 253,125 3 Claims. (Cl. 24S-417) This invention relates to stands and more particularly to a stand for a mail box of the type usually found in rural or suburban areas.

The average rural mail box is, more often than not, mounted on an ordinary fence post which may or may not be all right until a road-working machine, truck, or snow plow comes along and knocks the post over.

It is,.therefore, the purpose of the invention to provide a mail box stand that will not be destroyed by a sharp blow from any vehicle crashing into the same by reason of the free swinging arm secured to the top of the stand.

An object of this invention is to provide a mail box stand on which can be mounted any mail box having at least one straight side.

Another object of this invention is to provide a mail box stand having a spring loaded arm that will thus reduce the force of any blow striking the same and thereby offer some protection to the contents of the box.

Another object of this invention is to provide a mail box stand constructed from low cost and easily obtainable parts and materials.

Still another object of 'this invention is to provide a mail box stand that can be mounted some distance back from the door of the mail box thereby reducing the chance of the stand being struck by the mail carriers automobile or other vehicle as he pulls up to the box to place mail into or remove mail from the same.

Other and further objects and advantages of this mail box stand will be hereinafter described, and the novel features thereof defined in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of thisl mail box stand partly broken open to show its internal construction. lThe mail box is shown in broken lines.

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the mail box stand without the mail box.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the i top portion of this mail box stand.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 3,161,397 Patented Dec. 15, 1964 ICC secured to the washer 22 which is welded to the aforesaidvertical rod 18 which has its lower end passing through the lianged sleeve 23 which is supported by the plate 24,

and on down between the two parallel bolts 25 that pass through the tubes 26. The aforesaid bolts 25 also pass through the aforesaid lower tube 12, as one can readily see on examination of FIGURES 1, 3, and 5 of thev appended drawing. The aperture in plate 24 serves as a bearing for the lower end of vertical rod 18. A cam shaped stop 27 is welded or otherwise secured to the aforesaid vertical rod 18 at a point just below the Washer 22. A like stop 2S islsecured to the inside Wall of the upper section 11 of the tubular stand 10, thereby preventing complete rotation of the aforesaid vertical rod 18.

The construction of this invention as above described can, of course, be modified and still come within the scope of the appended claims. For example, the tubular stand 10 can be of one piece construction as shown in FIG- URES 6 and 8.

It may be well to remark before making claims for this novel invention that the leading edge 29 of the rectangular g plate 16, which is metal, is rubber and is secured by any desired means to the plate. The purpose of this rubber leading edge is, of course, to receive the blow of any snow plow or other vehicle striking the same. This invention is provided with rubber gaskets 30 at 31 and 32 in order tofboth act as a sealer and thus prevent water leakage, as well as to act as a shock absorber when the tubular stand 10 is struck.

The way in which this novel mail box stand operates in order to perform its main purpose is obvious to anyone having knowledge of mechanics or experience with spring loaded mechanism such as the inverted L-shaped arm 14,

v. which will swing when the tubular stand 10 is struck and of FIGURE 3 looking in the direction indicated by the I arrows.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional View taken along line 5 5 of FIGURE 3 as looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIGURE 6 is a side view of a slightly modified form of this mail box stand which has its top portion cut away to show its internal construction.

FIGURE 7 is a pictorial view of this mail box stand with the mail box shown in broken lines.

FIGURE 8 is a side view of the lower end of this mail box stand partly broken open to better show its modified internal construction.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Having reference now to the drawing in detail, there is generally indicated by the character 10 a tubular stand having an upper section 11 and a lower section 12. The

aforesaid tubular stand 10 is mounted vertically in the then swing back Vto its original position by reason of the coil spring 21. Since all vehicles keep to the right it is not necessary to provide a mailbox stand which will swing in more than one direction.

From the foregoing, it will now be seen that there is herein provided a mail box stand which accomplishes all of the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commery cial importance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it will be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A mail box stand of the character described, comprising, a tubular member, a top plate secured to one end of the tubular member, said top plate having a central aperture, an inverted L-shaped arm having two portions substantially at right angles to each other, the lirst portion extending through said aperture into said tubular'member along the axis of said tubular member, a Weatherproof seal between the top plate and said first portion, a bearing within said tubular member for the end of said iirst portion, the second portion of said inverted L-shaped arm extending radially of said tubular member, means for securing a mail box to said second portion and means within the tubular member for biasing the inverted L-shaped arm to a predetermined position.

2. A mail box stand of the character described, comprising, a tubular member, a top plate secured to one end member along the axis-of said tubular member, a weather-A proof seal between thetop plate and said first portion, a bearing within said tubular' member for the end of said rst portion, the second portion of said inverted L-shaped arm extending radially of said tubular member, means for securing a mail boxto said secondportion and spring means within the tubularrmember for biasing the inverted L-shaped arm to apredetermined position.

3. A mail box stand` of the character described, comprising a tubularmember, atop plate secured to one end of the tubular member, said top plate having a central aperture,` aninverted L-shapedarm having two portions substantially at right angles to each other, the first portionv extendingv through said aperture into said tubular member along. theaxis of said-tubular member, a weatherproof seal between the top plate and said first portion, a bearingwithin said tubular member for the end of said first portion, the second portion of said inverted L-shaped arm extending radially of said tubular member, means for securing a mail box to said secondfportion and a coil spring surrounding the first portion within the tubular member, one end of the spring secured to the top plate and the other end secured to the first portion for biasing the inverted L-shaped member to a predetermined position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,508,052 Hastings Sept. 9, 1924 1,532,354 Walton Apr. 7, 1925 2,605,073 Buck .luly 29, 1952 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MAIL BOX STAND OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, COM PRISING, A TUBULAR MEMBER, A TOP PLATE SECURED TO ONE END OF THE TUBULAR MEMBER, SAID TOP PLATE HAVING A CENTRAL APERTURE, AN INVERTED L-SHAPED ARM HAVING TWO PORTIONS SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO EACH OTHER, THE FIRST PORTION EXTENDING THROUGH SAID APERTURE INTO SAID TUBULAR MEMBER ALONG THE AXIS OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, A WEATHERPROOF SEAL BETWEEN THE TOP PLATE AND SAID FIRST PORTION, A BEARING WITHIN SAID TUBULAR MEMBER FOR THE END OF SAID FIRST 